The opposition grouping led by Imran Khan is aghast at the humiliation borne by Pakistan during the Nato summit in Chicago where it said the country’s contributions to the war on terror were summarily overlooked. To add insult to injury, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said, US President Barack Obama had not even condescended to hold a formal meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari.

On Thursday, PTI chief Imran Khan lamented that despite the death of 40,000 Pakistanis and the loss of Rs70 billion in a “strangers’ war”, Pakistan’s sacrifices were still not being given any consideration.

“The US is not ready to accept the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan, loss of over 40,000 lives including 6,000 soldiers, in the so-called war against terrorism,” said the PTI chairman at a press conference.

Imran accused the government of fighting the war just to earn dollars. “The US did not respect resolutions passed by our parliament and now they did not even bother to meet the president. This is not our war so let’s get out of it,” he maintained.

He believes that Pakistan should immediately disassociate itself from the US war on terror and initiate a dialogue with the tribal people. “There should be an immediate ceasefire in the tribal areas because this war has mutilated our tribal culture.”

Commenting on his decision to skip the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in honour of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he said he did not attend the dinner because it would mean that he is accepting Gilani as the prime minister.

However, he said, “had I gone to attend the dinner I would have gone for Erdogan because he is a well-respected leader of the Islamic world.”

Responding to a question about the long march against Gilani, Imran said that on moral grounds, Gilani was not the premier any longer. He said that PTI will chalk out its future strategy after a decision is taken over his appeal by the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Lt Gen (retd) Ali Kuli Khan Khattak, along with his two brothers, announced that they have joined the PTI during the press conference on Tuesday. He reposed his confidence in Imran’s leadership.

Imran welcomed Khattak with open arms, who had stepped down in protest when then prime minister Nawaz Sharif had approved the appointment of his junior officer, Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, to four-star rank and chief of army staff.

Govt has failed: Qureshi

Meanwhile, the party’s vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi joined the anti-government chorus and said that the government has failed to present its case to the international community before the Nato summit in Chicago despite Pakistan’s strategic importance in Nato’s exit from Afghanistan.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday, the former foreign minister said it was most unfortunate that fingers were pointed at Pakistan after the country had sacrificed so much in the war on terror.

“Humiliation faced at the Chicago summit is evidence of the same,” he stated.

He said that the president had to come back from the summit “empty-handed” and the government had failed to protect the country’s national interests.

Reader Comments (10)

How exactly would IK deal with this invitation and Pakistan’s budget deficit? We need money and we are lucky that the US needs our land route. What are the other options beside eating grass and false pride?

Oh yes! really lucky! Doesn’t anyone realise that the more we participate in the ‘war on terror’, the greater the chances that the taliban and the tribal areas will turn on us once the US leaves the area. That is what the US needs rite now; a scapegoat. And Pakistan is in the ideal place to be just that.

And who suffers at the end? Our politicians will be living in Europe in some villa without a care in the world, whereas the rest of the nation would suffer.

IK was in the right when he decided not to go to the dinner. Gilani is not worth it. He is a convicted criminal.

Imran khan is right as Zardari visit to the chicago was a complete failure.How will the American show respect to such leadership when they are brought to power by them through NRO.PTi is te hope for the country and Imran khan policies will bring prosperity and respect to the country.I like when imran khan says that he will value the tax collected from the people and will spend it on the welfare of people like in England and USA.Nawaz and zardari are only looking after their personal and party interests.It is now time for a change.

@Mirza:If you get sometime go and listen to Imran’s numorous TV interviews where he has explained how he would overcome the current deficit and uplift peoples lives. What have we gained in the past 10 years by being their front most ally?? more terrorism, poverty, destruction…….Don’t think everyone in Pakistan is dumb or more likely hypocrite like you. Insha Allah IK is our next Prime Minister and this country will rise soon.Recommend

The PPP has governed this country in the most difficult times of our history. These include the post-1971 period, and the post-Zia and post-Musharraf eras. And in spite of all these challenges, the party has many accomplishments under its belt. Furthermore, it is the PPP that has always been at the receiving end of the ‘Deep state’s’ efforts to destabilize elected civilian governments, and despite that it has taken some important decisions, many of which proved to be beneficial for the country in the long run.
Those who want specific examples of this need to look no further than our nuclear programme, the 1973 Constitution, the Heavy Mechanical Complex, the Eighteenth Amendment, the Seventh National Finance Commission Award, the Benazir Income Support Programme amongst many others.Recommend

The PPP has governed this country in the most difficult times of our history. These include the post-1971 period, and the post-Zia and post-Musharraf eras. And in spite of all these challenges, the party has many accomplishments under its belt. Furthermore, it is the PPP that has always been at the receiving end of the ‘Deep state’s’ efforts to destabilize elected civilian governments, and despite that it has taken some important decisions, many of which proved to be beneficial for the country in the long run.
Those who want specific examples of this need to look no further than our nuclear programme, the 1973 Constitution, the Heavy Mechanical Complex, the Eighteenth Amendment, the Seventh National Finance Commission Award, the Benazir Income Support Programme amongst many others.